MANAWATU COUNTY

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2788, 10 August 1915, Page 1

MANAWATU COUNTY

COUNCIL. j I ORDINARY MfiKTING YESTERDAY. ; Tho regular mooting of thoManawafcu County Council was held yesterdiiy. Present: Crs. Sir James "\Vilson (Chairman), H. M. Hunt, B. Gray,' W. E. Harbor, «. Penny, \V. J. Phillips, and M. Hammond. CORRESPONDENC!*:. The letters placed before the meeting inehuled the following:-— State Advances Office, stating loans for Sanson township streets and footpaths and for Kuputaru road had been, provisionally approved. Treasury, stating warrant apportioning annual payments of interest, etc., botwocii iNl'auawatu and Oroua counties had been yazefted. Kairauga County Council, forwarding copy of fallowing resolution : That where two or more local bodies share tho cost ol' roads and bridges, tho engineers of tho Council's interof works required ,and probable cost, and that vouchers .showing expenditure should bo exchanged monthly. A number of leasehold tenants'of tho Foxton Harbour Board asked for improvements to the road from 'Foxton borough boundary to Mnnawiitti Heads. Mr F. liuriiloy, Glasgow terrace, Feeding, wrote asking that watertables be cleaned out. Mr E. Newman, M.P.. wrote forwarding a reply from tho Minister of Defence regarding assistance asked on account of the traffic to the Rangiotu camp having severely taxed tho road. The Minister replied that as they were putting in a railway the • road would not be affected. BUSINESS . DONE; Tho Chairman reported that Mr W. Carthow, of Foilding, had approached him with regard to a proposal for an electric light at tho corner of Itanfurly road. Tho Foilding Borough Council was willing to maintain the light for £i 10s per annum, providing tho Council boro tho cost of erecting. The Council passed a motion agreeing to permit tho light to be erected . at the corner of Ranfurly and Tiroroa road on condition that tho ratepayers interested pay tho original cost, tho Council paying the annual light and maintenance cost up to £4 10s. TREASURER'S REPORT.' General account, dr., £3378 0s od; loan account, cr., £1205 2s Bd. Riding Accounts. —Available for expenditure: Sandou £417 Is 2d, narvou £385 4s Id, Kawa Kawa £GB4 ss2d, Awahou £47 0s Bd. The Chairman's action in cancelling C. Martin's contract far supply of metal at tho stone crusher was confirmed. Tenders were accepted as follows: Contract 209, I. D. S. Cooksley, 39s per chain; No. 210, N. Podcrsou, ■ £20 15s. The Chairman's action in closiing Main Drain road against heavy traffic was confirmed. ENGINEER'S REPORT. • Sandon Ruling.—The road grader is now working in this riding trimming up the old metalled roads. We have carted metal and patched up the weak places on the Olmkea and Macdo uoll's roads, and have cleared tho_ slips out of the Kakariki cutting on the Kakariki roati, and have also put in a 24-inch concrete pipe culvert on the Ohakea road. Sandon and Mount Stewart Ridings.—We have carted about 90 yards of metal on to the cemetery road to large wooden culvert on this road at tho bottom of cemetery hill is completely rotten and is falling to pieces. I would' recommend the Council to replace this structure with a, concrete culvert as soon as possible. Cost ol concrete culvert, £94 14s. Mount Stewart Riding.—The usual maintenance work has been done throughout this riding. I am now having the ruts trimmed in on Kowhai road. Tho top end of this road, which is under the control of. the Feilding Borough Council, requir.es metalling, and tho road should also be made wider with a good deep water-table on each side to carry oil the storm water, which in many places there are no water-tables to take away , the road water. . Cr\ Gray and myself, with Mr IoU ■ley, inspected the drainage of storm l water into Mr Tolley's property. The ( water complained of runs through Mr Scandlyn's and into Mr Gray's pro- } pcrty. Mr Scamllyn is prepared to } pay 30s towards constructing a dram ( to take the 'water into tho Makino ( creek providing Cr. Gray pays a similar sum towards the proposed dram, j Mr Tollcy' suggests that the water from Woils street be taken direct to " tho Makino creek, which is now run- , ning on to his property, but this sug- . gestion would be rather costly, as it , would be necessary to concrete a chan- } nel to the creek to prevent it scoiir- . ing out the water-table. I also inspected the overflow complained of by , Mr Shepherd, and 1 think this trouble may be overcome by deepening the water-table. The recent floods scoured off the metal twice during the past , month on the Feilding-Awahuri road, and also caused a culvert on Lee's line to collapse and one on the Rakohxm road. Both of these culverts havebeen replaced with pipes. Waitohi Riding.—Messrs T. Stuart and Sous have completed their con- ' tract for supplying 360 yards of ' screened metal on the Taipp-Awalrari road. During the month Councillor Penny and myself made an inspection of this road. Cr. Penny decided to have an extra 150 yards of metal put on the road, which I let to Messrs T. Stuart and Sons for 5s per yard, which lias been delivered. The bridge at the foot of A'Court's hill, on Taipo-Awaluui road, was damaged by flood, and has been tenipor- . arily repaired for light traffic. Rongotea Riding.—The usual road ; maintenance work has been done in this riding. Mr P. Yallender has . made fair progress with his contract 5 for delivering metal on Sanson's and I Jones' lines. [ Cr. Hunt and myself made an in- ' ' spection of the proposed uew drain ' I and the filling in of the present drain jon Jones' line. One of the worst J places along this road is where the settlers are allowing their artesian water to run into the road drain, which has made quite a bog, and is working to the edge of the metal. Tho drain along this road could be filled in at several places without interfering with the drainage system, and be a great improvement to the road. Kawa Kawa Riding.—-Mr Nattrass is progressing favourably with his contract for formation work ou Kellow's line. We have carted about 175 yards of metal on the Taikorea road l>etween tho Main Drain road and the Taikorea factory. This road will require at least another 150 yards to put it in fair order. Mr E. Algar is progressj ing favourably with his contract for I delivering metal on Couper's line. I i have also had metal carted on to the Main Drain road to repair weak places and holes along this road between the Mangawhata road and Glen Oroua. Awahou Hiding.—The usual repairs have been effected on the various roads in this riding. I am pleased to J say the Foxton-Shannon road is in first-class order again. AYe have also carted crushed metal on to the Wliirokino road, which is now in Tair order. The surfaceman is now planting willows along the bonk of the Manawatu river towards the old ferry site. The Foxton Beach road is in a bad state of repair and requires Iroiu 150 to 200 yards of metal to repair the worst places, and it would be advisable to

roll this road when tho steam roller koines to hand. General. —The output of crushed metal was very small during the last month, chiefly owing to the stoppage of work on account of the original contractor,' and it was some time before we could get the present contractors to start work again. We aro also having some trouble with the crusher. The stone and grit has been working between the moving jaw s and the frame of the crusher." and lias worn away each side of the frame immediately behind the cheek plates until they have no support and cannot be kept in position. Wo have now arranged to get the crusher i'ramo chiselled out behind the cheek plates and studs in a steel plate on each side for the cheek plates to*butt against. The timber should now be ordered for the re-decking of the AVhirokino bridge, as it will iaka some time to gob the material on the ground before we can commence to repair tho bridge.